Posts Tagged ‘Pressure’

What are different home remedies for cuts and scrapes – a summer problem?

INITIAL STEPS

Stop the bleeding:
- The first thing to do (after admonishing yourself for being so clumsy) is to stop the bleeding.
- Apply pressure to the area with a clean cloth or tissue.
- Elevate the wound above the heart to slow the blood flow.
- Don’t use a tourniquet as it cuts off circulation.

Wash up:
- Clean it thoroughly with soap and water or an over-the-counter cleanser.
- Hibiclens is one of them and that doesn’t sting.
- Pour hydrogen peroxide onto the wound, if it is very dirty.
- As it bubbles, it will lift out debris.
- Apply it carefully, because hydrogen peroxide can damage surrounding skin.

Bring on the antibacterial ointment:
- Antibacterial ointments and solutions are helpful.
- Polysporin, Neosporin, and Bactine are examples.

Clean with iodine:
- Use a tincture of iodine or povidone-iodine for minor cuts and bruises.
- Iodine kills bacteria and viruses effectively.

Close the skin:
- Properly closing the skin is important.
- Closing makes the cut heal faster.
- It also reduces the chances of scarring.
- Apply butterfly strips or a standard adhesive bandage to keep the cut closed.

Cover it:
- Use Telfa, a coated, gauze-type bandage instead of a guage that tends to stick to the wound.
- Don’t cover it too tightly.
- A bit of air circulation actually facilitates healing.

Keep it clean:
- Remove the bandage and wash the wound every day with soap and water.
- This will prevent infection.
- Then apply a clean bandage.

Don’t let it dry out:
- Keep the wound moist.
- This will help prevent cracking, speed healing, and reduce the chance of scarring.

If a scab forms, don’t pick at it:
- This disrupts the skin and can introduce bacteria.
- Soak crusty scabs with a solution of one tablespoon white vinegar to one pint of water.
- The mildly acidic solution is soothing and helps kill bacteria.

At night, keep the wound moist with a water/petrolatum regimen
Cover the wound with a little petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) to seal in the moisture.

Don’t get locked up:
- Consider having a tetanus shot within 72 hours.

Protect it from sunlight:
- Avoid sun exposure during the healing process.
- Apply over-the-counter hydrocortisone to the wound.

The following vitamin and mineral supplements are recommended to aid in rapid healing:
- Beta-carotene. Take 25,000 international units a day.
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). Take 50 milligrams a day
- Vitamin C. Take 3,000 to 5,000 milligrams a day.
- Vitamin E. Take 400 international units a day
- Zinc. Take 50 to 100 milligrams a day.

Different Home Remedies
- Cover the cut with a mixture of zinc oxide cream and vitamin-E oil.
- Calendula gel or ointment stimulates fast healing at the skin’s surface.
- Clove oil is high in eugenol, a compound that is both an antiseptic and a painkiller.
- You can sprinkle powdered cloves on a cut to prevent infection.
- Comfrey roots and leaves contain allantoin, which stimulates cell division and speeds wound healing.
- It also avoids scar formation.
- Echinacea is also Commission E-approved as a topical treatment for superficial cuts.
- This herb has powerful immune-stimulating properties.
- Drink a cup of echinacea tea three to four times a day to strengthen your immune system to speed healing.
- Goldenseal contains several antiseptic compounds.
- Apply a poultice of crushed goldenseal root to any minor cuts.
- Yarrow is excellent for stopping bleeding.
- Sprinkle powdered yarrow extract onto the cut.
- A great home remedy for cuts is turmeric powder.
- This can be applied to a cut to promote healing and prevent infection.
- Wash the cut thoroughly and then put garlic oil or crushed garlic on a band aid.
- Washing the cut or scrape with soap, dose it with vitamin E oil, aloe vera gel or cod liver oil.
- Use cayenne pepper to stop the bleeding of cuts and scratches.
- Wash the wound with a good soap. Then apply a thick layer of Vaseline.
- Yarrow leaves and flowers have been used for their blood-clotting, anti-inflammatory, and pain-relieving qualities.

There are a number of herbal first-aid creams available:
- Calendula in echinacea-and-comfrey combinations
- Calendula blended with white sage
- Elder flower, and chickweed;
- Calendula mixed with goldenseal propolis and myrrh.

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Leg Cramps during Pregnancy – causes, tips and treatment.

Leg cramps are a common problem for many women during pregnancy. Most leg cramps are caused by fatigue of carrying the weight that is put into textron during pregnancy. As you gain more weight, leg cramps may increase. Cramps can also be aggravated by pressure from the expanding uterus on blood vessels that return blood from the legs to the heart and from nerves to the legs. Leg cramps can occur at any time, but most likely it occurs at bedtime.
Leg cramps start during the second trimester and may get worse as the pregnancy progresses and the belly gets bigger. While, these cramps can occur during the day, but they are most noticeable at night and they can interfere with the ability to sleep well at night.

Causes:
Several things can lead to painful leg cramps during pregnancy.
For starters, the muscles that withstand the increasing weight of your baby, and probably feel the tension. Growth of the uterus (womb) is also putting pressure on the main vein in your legs. This, combined with the effects of progesterone, a hormone of pregnancy, affects the blood flow and therefore, the muscle tone in the legs.

Leg cramps may also be happening because they lack certain nutrients and salts such as calcium or magnesium. You can have low levels of these circulating in the blood because your baby is getting what it needs from supplies and leaving your body short of these nutrients.However, it is unclear whether taking supplements such as calcium or magnesium salts, helps prevent cramps.

Tips and Treatment:
Person must try these tips to fend off leg cramps:
- Avoid standing or sitting with legs crossed for long periods of time.
- Stretch the calf muscles regularly during the day and several times before going to bed.
- Rotate the ankles and toes when you sit, eat dinner or watch television.
- Take a walk every day, unless the doctor has advised not to exercise.
- Avoid getting too tired. Lie on the left side to improve circulation to and from the legs.
- Stay hydrated during the day by drinking fluids regularly.
- Try a warm bath before bedtime to relax the muscles.

There are lot of home remedies that can also help to cure the problem:
- Soak your feet in warm water every day before going to bed. This helps to relax the calf muscles and prevent cramps and swelling in the evening. Add the mint to the water and soak your feet in reliving the pain instantly. If your feet swell during the day, then you must use a compression of hot water and a towel or a hot water bottle on the feet to soothe muscles. Sitting for the day and complete their tasks in this way or take a short nap to make sure your body some rest.
- Taking a magnesium supplement in addition to a prenatal vitamin may help some women avoid leg cramps. Well, having leg cramps is a sign that you need more calcium, and calcium supplements. Although it is certainly important to get enough calcium, there is no good evidence that taking calcium supplements help prevent leg cramps during pregnancy.

If you have a cramp, immediately stretch the calf muscles: Straighten the leg, heel first and slightly flexible toes toward the shins. It may hurt at first, but will relieve the spasm and pain will gradually disappear. A doctor can also be called for help if the signs continue to persist for long time.

Nose bleeding during Pregnancy- Causes, Treatment and Prevention

Many women develop nosebleeds during pregnancy. For many, nosebleeds are fairly common and simple. If nothing more, women find it uncomfortable and shocking. The body goes through many changes during pregnancy. You may find your self blessed with all sorts of discomforts and new grievances. Bleeding from the nose may be one of them. Nosebleeds and nasal congestion are common symptoms during pregnancy. As the pregnancy develops the volume of blood increases. The combination of hormonal changes and increased blood flow contributes to some of the nasal problems during pregnancy. Many women complain that they feel more congested, have more sinus headaches, or have frequent nosebleeds when they are pregnant.

Causes:
Nosebleeds during pregnancy are more common as the blood vessels in the body expand because the volume of pumping blood increases during pregnancy. Pregnancy can increase the pressure in the blood vessels in the nose, which contributes to the nosebleed. Nosebleeds are also common when a woman has a cold or when it is particularly dry, as these conditions may contribute to irritation of the membrane.

Causes of nosebleeds usually depend on the person, but pregnant women seem to have more than its fair share of nosebleeds. Pregnant women usually have 30% to 50% more blood movement in their bodies than they would normally have. This blood is needed to maintain a healthy placenta and baby.

As hormones such as estrogen and progesterone increase during pregnancy, the blood flow in women also increases. This increased blood flow is also one of the main reasons for nose bleeding because it exerts a pressure on the mucous membrane of the nose. Sometimes these vessels are not able to withstand the pressure and as a result, break.

Rough wind or the aggressive nose blowing can also contribute to irritation and can cause frequent nosebleeds. Pregnant women experience nasal congestion more frequently than non-pregnant women.

Treatment:
There are some simple steps that you can take to prevent or minimize the number of nosebleeds experienced during pregnancy.
- Try using a humidifier in the bedroom at night to keep the humidity in the room. Dry air can dry the mucous membranes which contribute to nosebleeds.
- Avoid blowing too hard especially when you have a cold. Use soft tissue products such as those with aloe to help ease the nose.
- Be sure to drink plenty of fluids during the day to keep mucous membranes working properly. Dry mucous membranes are more likely to bleed as compared to well-hydrated membranes.
- Try a nasal spray more lubricant if you have frequent nosebleeds. Alternatively, you can try a small dab of Vaseline inside the nose to prevent the membranes from drying out.
If the symptoms continue to persist then you can immediately concern the doctor for proper check up.

Prevention:
If you find that nosebleeds are particularly troublesome, try some of these quick fixes to prevent it in the future:
- Do not pick your nose!
- Blow your nose gently.
- When you sneeze, keep your mouth open to relieve pressure on the nose.
- Buy a humidifier at your home or office to keep the air nice and moist.
- Put petroleum jelly or saline drops in the nose to keep hydrated mucous.
- Drink plenty of fluids, especially water.
- Increase the intake of vitamin C as it promotes tissue healing.